a window into our life...

IT'S A.....

2011-11-26T16:36:00.000-05:00

two little indians...

2011-11-01T11:54:00.001-04:00

can't believe next year there will be three little indians... can't wait to add to our tribe! and be in our own neighborhood too... lot's of changes to come. hope your halloween was happy!!

FOUR

2011-09-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

this little beach baby turned FOUR.

FOUR..... really?

four seems so big to me.

and it's so hard to believe.

willa.... you light up our lives.

you are so full of sunshine.

your eyes shine so bright.

it is so fun to watch you grow.

you have such a giving, kind heart.

you are a tiny as ever.

still wear a two.

but you have a big heart and a big soul.

you love to laugh.

and dance.

and sing.

you are the best big sister.

i can hardly wait to see you as a big sis again.

my Godmother sent me a message yesterday...

she said something that really hit me.

"happy four year anniversary on becoming a mother."

a mother. four years ago this little lady made me a mother.

she made me who i am today.

i couldn't be more proud to be her (their) mother.

and on top of it to be expecting ANOTHER!

a true blessing.

i love you baby.

{you will always be my baby.}

happy happy birthday love.

xoxoxo

{ok, so the only updated photos i had were from the beach in august... where the kids insisted on taking off their clothes to swim in the super warm gulf at sunset... it was a magical evening...}

*actual bday photos to come*

miss sunshine

2011-07-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

we are not lacking any sunshine here in the mitten this summer...

and we are lovin it!!

papa's driveway is the perfect canvas!

girlfriend gets into it!

she does her own posing...

absence...

2011-07-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

makes the heart grow fonder...

no?

ok... well, it was worth a try...

i had major computer issues.

lost my hard drive. :(.

had to rebuild everything.

it cost me lots of $.

it cost me lots of stress.

i'm back now.

and i'm sorry.

for my absence here.

and the absence on your blogs.

i'll make it up to you.

xoxo

TWO

2011-06-01T14:17:00.012-04:00

{pics taken this morning, june 1st... your birthday}

little man...

hard to believe you were born two years ago TODAY!

sometimes i have to remind myself that you are only two... cause you act like you're four!

and other times i feel like i just had you... how could it be two years already?

you are so much fun! your smile is infectious. you have the best sense of humor. you light up the room.

you are talking in full on sentences... i must shake my head in disbelief all day at the things that you say! you have the most kissable cheeks and kissable lips... i could kiss your little squishy face all day long... {most the time i do}! you love to give kisses & hugs... you are so affectionate! i hope you stay that way forever! you love your sister. you want to do everything she does. you call every color blue. you always answer "no" with nooooope... (it's really funny). if you don't want something you say "i no yike it mama.... i no yike it" (even if you really do)!! or "nooooo..... neeeewww one." (that's funny too). you have the mose sparkly blue eyes i have ever seen. you wear the same shoe size as your sister. everyone thinks you are twins. you get mistaken for a girl about twice a day. (it's your beautiful golden locks). you do get haircuts... i just don't let them cut much off. you have this surfer way about you when you throw your head to the side to swoop your hair over. you love to jump... off of really high places. you love blueberries. and strawberries. and you really love wawamelllooon.... a lot!! you could eat fruit all day long. you love books. you always point out all the big diggers on the road. you love motorcycle's or "cycles" as you call them everytime you hear or see one. when you yell fork it sounds like a bad word. you love the water. you love tools... and want to fix everything. recently you "fixed" nanny and papa's kitchen island... and papa schneider's kitchen table... oops! you are called peyt, peytie, peyts, little man, mr. man, peytie james, pey-pey, peytie-boo.... you jump out of your crib like nobody's business.... everynight.... like a million times... sometimes in the middle of the night, you just "need a hug". or covered up with your "blank".... pretty much nightly actually! you think time-out are fun (most the time) you put yourself there sometimes... but you always coming back running with a sorry... sorry... to everyone in the room. you like makeup, and shoes... (remember that big sister thing)... you love to run. you love pants or shorts with pockets...you put your hands in them, money in them. you especially love jeans. you ask me if i'm gonna wear jeans every day. you love your crocks. and you can put shoes on yourself... (and you always do...) you're good at puzzles. and naming everything you see in books.... you can spot a play scape from a mile away. every morning (and nap) you come in and say "i sleep goooood" in a really deep voice (funny). you're as sweet as pie. and the thing i like the best... you really, really, really love your mama!

headed for the terrible two's? naaaaaa. not you!!

you are such a blessing in our lives little buddy!!

happy birthday!!

with lots, and lots, and LOTS of love!!

xoxoxo

VIVA....

2011-05-19T17:51:00.001-04:00

i've been sprayed, cut, colored, whitened, shellaced... and new digs thanks to nordies.....
and i'm off... to vegas... with the girls... for a long weekend... woot woot!!!

chosen.

2011-05-09T14:23:00.003-04:00

i was indeed chosen. by God. to be their mother. and it is an honor. and a privilege....

think about that...

they were chosen for you. and you were chosen for them...

in God's most perfect time.

in His perfect plan. a great plan. we must trust, and give glory to HIM.

it's hard sometimes not to get caught up in the daily routine, the daily grind of it all... sometimes wondering if what we do is really important? if what we do means anything? if we are doing the right thing, if we are raising them right? it's hard not to fear mistakes, not to dwell on mistakes. but if we can remember that we are truly chosen. hand picked for this child.... that we were born to raise them... born to be their mother... that it is a honor and a privilege... not a job. well... that just changes things doesn't it?

and i sure am glad that He chose my mama for me!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

hope it was wonderful!

at least...

2011-04-22T23:40:00.000-04:00

i have help.

that are really good at coming up with things to empty...

excellent box jumpers...

and cheerleaders...

you woulda thought we bought them the biggest best toy in the world...

nope. just boxes.

they even label...

{more to come on that moving thing. that moving in a week thing.}

monkey see...

2011-04-18T22:03:00.000-04:00

monkey do...

what she does... he does.

what she has... he has to have.

what she wants... he wants.

what she says... he says.

where she goes.. he follows.

these two are bff's!

and it makes me so happy...

{yes, i realize they are one and three and a lot can change}

they just seem to have a special bond~

always together.

always looking for one another.

they play so well...

so, so well...

i love.

that they love each other.

{tear}

yes, i am still blogging pics of florida and we are now back in michigan...

whatever.

not just for shaving....

2011-04-12T22:16:00.000-04:00

squirt it on a table...

and let them go at it..

super great sensory fun!

they LOVE this!!

sunset...

2011-04-11T00:08:00.000-04:00

our favorite time by far. we watch it on the beach almost every night that we're here. sometimes we take all our garb... our chairs, blankets, coolers, maybe dinner. and sometimes we just go... with nothing at all, and we roll around in the sand. dig holes with our hands instead of toys. and then jump in them. we run and play and laugh. it's magical. especially on THIS beach... it's our spot. our most favorite spot.

oh how we love it here... so simple, so peaceful, so fun.

glad we had a extra few days :)

ummm...

2011-04-06T23:45:00.000-04:00

it sorta helps. when booking a flight. and wanting to go home on wednesday the 6th. that you don't book it for wednesday the 13th. that's right... cleaned. packed. drove. mentally prepared to be home... "mam, your flight is not for today". now what?

and a video... cause i'm way too tired to edit any photos...

this IS me...

2011-04-06T01:01:00.000-04:00

so, i took the kids to the beach tonight to play and watch the sunset... (and ok, to take some photos) anyway, as we were leaving these people said to me "hey, we took some great photos of you taking photos of your kids... we would love to email them to you"! and this is what they sent...

{i obviously had NO idea anyone was watching... let alone taking pics}

oh my... i must be a sight!

{hahahaha}

raise and praise...

2011-04-04T22:56:00.000-04:00

{PRAISE} in the park

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all on the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Psalm 98:4

there is nothing like praising our Lord on a beautiful night in the park.

we {willa} made new friends and shared in faith

we let it all go, raised our hands and rejoiced in our Lord.

{and it felt so good}

innocence...

2011-04-03T00:14:00.000-04:00

something magical going on in my heart watching him here...

a true, pure innocence

{i. love. my. boy.}

no joke....

2011-04-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

no april fools.

i'm back.

no excuses. {although i could come up with a laundry list}

just back.

for good.

and to prove it~ i'm coming back big.
i'll blog everyday for the next month.

and... {i'm really sorry for leaving you blog world}.

please forgive me.

we've been hanging out in our favorite place pretty much the whole winter...

and these kids are in love with it....

lot's of fun, lot's visitors, and lot's more to come...

coming back...

2011-02-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

soon.
promise.

who says...

2010-10-22T17:34:00.000-04:00

you can't wear high heels while mowing the driveway?

or playing hockey?

this boy LOVES shoes...

three.

2010-09-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

tonight {last night now}, on the eve of your third birthday, i laid on your floor with you and told you your story...

daddy and i had hoped and prayed for a baby for a long time. we waited much longer then we ever thought we would have to. but God had a plan. and after three and a half years of hoping and praying, we learned we were pregnant with you! i will never forget the day that i found out that our prayers had been answered. the phone rang and i was expecting this call to tell me whether or not our treatment had worked. in the weeks before i had prayed to God to please give me some sort of a sign if i were pregnant or not. we always had a thing with the number 23... daddy and i were married on the 23rd, daddy's birthday is the 23rd. all of the numbers added together in the address on our wedding invite equaled the number 23, we sat in row 23 on airplanes, we always had golf cart #23, and so on... it just seemed this number always popped up. so while i was praying to God to please give me a sign~ i thought what if the due date would be the 23rd...i just smiled, and laughed out loud as it felt like the Lord said to me "gosh, you just can't be patient can you"... so i ran upstairs plugged in the dates, and up came the expected due date... september 23rd. and i knew, i knew at that moment that i was pregnant. tears streamed down my face and i ran downstairs jumping up and down proclaiming this to your daddy. and he laughed and then said i was crazy. (humph).

it was time to go into the doctor for the test. the test i had gotten so many times, and so many times been told "i'm sorry". we went in, it was a saturday morning and the nurse said to me right away well, do you feel different? and i said no. and she said.. oh.. with a grimace... i asked if i was supposed to?? and she said, well yes. it sort of crushed my high spirits... so, we went to get a bagel and waited, and waited for the blood test to come back. they said they would call in a few hours. then the phone rang. and it was auntie rita on the other line. {she helped us so much in this whole process, as she is a nurse at our doctors} she said "well, i think september 23rd sounds like a really great day"... and i said "WHAT"??? am i pregnant??? and she said "YES"!! "Yes, you are"!! i couldn't help but jump up and down and celebrate!! well, daddy and nanny were in the driveway not knowing that i was getting the news right then... but when they saw me jump up and down... they knew. they knew that all of our hopes and dreams were coming real! i ran to them and hugged and screamed and cried. oh, your daddy cried willa. his lips quivered and he had tears streaming down his face! we were beyond thrilled. we were ecstatic!!!

everything was pretty smooth after that... my numbers raised as they should have, i had very little sickness, everything was going along as it should... and then came my 20 week anatomy appointment. the big ultrasound where they look at everything. i went into the appointment just so excited to find out whether you were a boy or girl... they took all sorts of measurements and showed us all your organs working away. then she revealed that we were having a girl. a girl. i was shocked. i couldn't believe it!! i wouldn't even let myself believe you could be a girl!! oh, i was so excited!!! and then came more measurements, and more, and more {all of which we thought were normal}. and then the phone rang. all we heard the tech say was "uh huh, uh huh, uh ok. uh huh, yes, ok....." we really thought nothing of it, we didn't know any better. and then more measurements. and then the tech said. that was the head doctor from royal oak beaumont on the line and she wants you to go over there for some further measurements of her chin area. and that was it. she could tell us nothing else. that's how she left it. all i could think was does she have a chin? what's the problem? what did you see? why all the measurements? is something missing? what's wrong?..... so we drove. we drove fast to the other hospital. i sat in the passenger seat with my arms raised in the air. praying and pleading to God to let you be ok. i prayed like i'd never prayed before. not caring a single bit that other drivers would see me with my arms up and my head lifted to the sky as i cried out to the Lord. because in that instant nothing else mattered. nothing. we took no phone calls and we called no one. we just wanted to get to that hospital. we finally were there where we were greeted by a couple doctors and were taken to the special room with the 4d ultrasound machine. and of course we waited again. they took all sorts of more measurements and again told us nothing. nothing. no information or thoughts what so ever. when the doctor was done he told us he would call us later with the results of the measurements. what? call us later? that was the longest 4 hours of my life. finally, he called. his conclusion was that all of the measurements seemed to be in the range of normal and that your chin was slightly pushed back and that we would take more measurements in about a month. we were relieved to say the least. and we went on celebrating... celebrating this beautiful healthy baby girl that was growing in mommy.

and then we went back. back for more measurements. they took all the measurements of your chin area and then seemed to be taking some "extra" of the rest of you and your organs. huh, i started to think... and wonder... pretty soon the tech said, i'll be right back... and then in walked a doctor. dr. lee the same doctor we had dealt with before. and i knew. something was wrong. he said, the chin area looks fine, but.... the baby is measuring small. ok, i thought what does that mean?? he said, well we'll just keep an eye on her. we'll do another ultrasound in three weeks. and we waited another three weeks...

so we went in for the next ultrasound, and the next... and then it happened. it happened again. i noticed the tech was taking lots of "extra" measurements again. and i started to get a lump in my throat, and a upset stomach, and i felt flushed. and she said it again {in fact i think it was the same tech}. i'll be right back... and in walk dr. lee.... for you guessed it... more measurements. no, no, no i thought.... not again. and he said it. "well, the measurements have stayed the same with the size, but..... the baby's heart is enlarged and there is fluid around the heart. and this is serious. and that they wanted to see us back in three days and that we would devise a plan from there. a plan i thought? what in the world do you mean a plan??

then they moved us into the room. the room where they give consultations. they said the phone would ring soon and that it would be my ob. explaining some things. i looked around the room, there were lots of kleenex boxes... which was good for me. your daddy looked scared. we were scared. the phone rang. it was doctor t. he explained what was happening. he said to come to his office and that we would talk. oh and he said before he hung up... "sarah, this is serious."

when we met with dr.t he said that i would most likely deliver early and at either childrens hospital in detroit or at u of m. and that they would do surgery from there. what is happening? what is going on? Lord, help me understand this i prayed.

you can't imagine what we were going through in that moment. and in the moments to follow. in the three days we had to wait to go back to see dr. lee at beaumont and look at your heart again. i prayed so hard, so so hard.... for three straight days. i remember sitting in your rocker in your room rocking and praying with my arms raised to the Lord. and many, many, many others prayed for you. please Lord, please fix my baby's heart. i prayed that it would go back to normal size and that the fluid would go away. for three straight days.

it was finally time. time to go back. we went in and they began this process all over again, we knew this routine oh so well. and in walked dr. lee... he began his long (what seemed like forever) process of measurements.... finally, he spoke. (it was always dead silence in there). he said this is unexplainable... but the heart has gone back down to normal size. there is still fluid and we are going to watch it closely, but we are expecting it to all get absorbed over time in utero and we will do more testing after the baby is born. unexplainable huh? well, i can explain that one. GOD. our awesome God. He healed you. and He healed you fast. it was unbelievable... we went from delivering early at a different hospital, with different doctors, going straight to heart surgery, to this. wow, what an emotional roller coaster we were on.

over the next several weeks, months, they watched you. they watched you like a hawk. i was there, at that same place every two weeks. where they watched your heart, your size, and well... everything else of course. and every time i held my breath, waiting for a doctor to walk in and deliver more awful news... but everything was ok from there. no more developments besides your itty bitty size...

so, i had in my head that you would be born on september 23rd, of course. on friday september 21st your uncle steve was in town and daddy, grandpa, uncle steve and i all went out to dinner. i sat there and thought hmmm... what's that? i felt something kinda funny. i didn't say anything (anyway they're boys, it would be hard for them to understand). i quietly went to the bathroom and checked. hmm. it was nothing i guess. i came back and grandpa asked me if everything was ok? i said yep, and we went on with our night. we came back to our house and after one too many margarita's daddy and uncle steve hit the couches. (surprise, surprise). i went upstairs and thought hmm. there's that weird thing again. i called jennie (cause she's a p.a. who had just had finn and her water had broke too. she said, ah... dude your water broke. you need to go to the hospital. i was like huh, really? i don't know... (it was a slow leak). so i called dr. chu and she said well, you should go in and check. so i went downstairs to inform your father (who knew nothing at this point) of the news. he (and uncle steve) flew off the couch, no really, flew. he was like what, huh, what, really??? let's go, let's go he said... i said no, rush... i'm not even sure. and all the way to the hospital i was sure it would be a false alarm and they would send us home.

at the hospital they did the test to see if my water broke and the first one came back negative.... (now remember nothing was easy with you)!! so they did another test just to be sure... and it came back positive! that's when they informed me that i was staying~ and having a baby. i was hardly dilated and they told me to get some sleep that it was going to be awhile. sleep? yeah right. the anticipation of you finally coming into this world was too much. i didn't sleep a wink. dawn came with not much change. so they started pitocin to get things going... and we waited, and waited and walked and bounced... and... not much change. there was a shift change and in walked the most amazing nurse. i will never forget her. she put me in all sorts of crazy positions, and i finally went from a 3 to a 6. that was great, but i stayed there FOREVER. in fact, there was no change for so long (almost 24 hours) that they started talking c-section. dr. t came in and said "well, we have to assume that you must be a failure to progress." he said that he'd leave it up to us at this point because there was no emergency and the baby is not in any danger, but we were coming up on 24 hours that my water had broke and after that we would have no choice. as they prepared the c-section consent forms and papers. i asked to be left alone for 20 mins to make a final decision. and i prayed. i prayed to have His will be done. that if a c-section was the best choice then we would have peace with that. but that if i were to have this baby girl naturally, that i would progress. all of a sudden i felt different. i felt something. in walked nurse chris and i said just that... i feel something. some kinda pressure... so she checked and she looked up with tears in her eyes and said YOU ARE A 9 and 1/2!!!! what did you do while i was gone she asked? i said "I PRAYED". she looked at me and said well, why didn't you do that earlier?? :) oh how i loved nurse chris.

it was time. time for you to come. the lights came down, the tools came out, the baby warmer was on and all the necessary staff was in the room. it was time. it was the 22nd. it was 9pm. they said this is gonna be awhile. i pushed and pushed and worked so hard to get you out. it was nearing 10:30. the doc said do you want to wait till the 23rd? :) (knowing the story)... and i said nope. the 22nd is a great birthday! and it's her own.

and you were born on september 22nd, 2007 at 10:30pm.

i was a little nervous, you know that "they" would come again. that something would be wrong. but when i could see you and hear you, i knew you were ok. i couldn't stop staring at you, and holding you, and loving on you. you were finally here. i had a child. i had a daughter. i had you. i had this instant, unbelievable, unexplainable, love for you. a love that is so, so deep.

and three years later... life hasn't been the same since. you have changed our lives for the better. i am better with you in my life. you are sweet, smart, fun, happy, loving, funny, full of life, you are beautiful, you have such a big heart, and you are my heart. you inspire me, you make me smile, you make me laugh, you are everything i ever could have imagined in a daughter, but more.

and of course, the scares didn't stop there. because i've come to find out that this is your way. it's God's way really. and He is teaching us things through you. this i know for sure.

we had the follow up appointments with the pediatric cardiologists for awhile the first was when you were only 3 days old. and each time we went little things (nothing to be alarmed about, or so they said)... weren't quite right... but by about the fifth time everything had resolved itself! praise God! we were released, done with the cardiologist. i cried. i cried so hard in that doctors office. your heart was healthy, and we were done. done with this part.

at about three months we went in for one of your well visits and we had LOTS... more than the average bear, cause... well, they had to watch you like a hawk... remember??

as dr. c was examining you she looked at me and said (and i'll never forget) "are one of her legs bigger then the other"? i looked at her with a blank stare. like what? what did you just say to me? please take that back. take it back now. what the heck are you talking about anyway? she's my baby and of course i would know if one of her legs was bigger (or smaller). duh. and i walked over looked at her legs. and said yep. that's what it looks like. her legs are different sizes. one is longer and bigger around then the other. and not only that but the foot was a different size too. how could i not have noticed this. was i too wrapped up in baby love to notice? and what now? what in the world does this mean? she immediately talked geneticist, neurologist, orthopedic surgeon...

so we went, we went to all these doctors and appointments, and heard all their thoughts on whether they thought you have hemihyperplasia or hemihypertophy?? i was sad, confused, angry that you had to go through all this. dr. c (pediatrician) thought for sure you had russell silver syndrome. she was excited she found this... excited. excited huh? excited to tell me my baby had some sort of genetic syndrome? well, i wasn't excited to hear her guess. and a guess it was. we went to see the geneticist and he informed us she did not have russell silver sydrome. i was relieved. they did a basic genetic work up and everything came back normal. but he informed us that if it is indeed hemihypertrophy which was his guess but we may never actually know. that you have a risk of a side effect called wilms tumor which is a very fast growing tumor in the kidneys. because of this risk we have to take you to ultrasounds of the abdomen and blood work every three months till your eight years old, every six months after that, and every year after that. (i'm so sorry baby). what is this? what's the cause? what did this mean for your future? we went on to the neurologist where at 5 months old the put you under to do a mri. and everything came back in the range of normal. we went on to the ortho doctor... he said we would fix your legs through surgery at 10 years old, where they will either stretch the little leg with pins and some crazy apparatus over the course of a year. or they will stunt the growth in the larger. this is a decision we don't have to think about for a long while. {and i pray every day of course that God would heal your legs on His own}. from there it was on to therapy where you were treated for tortacolis (which was no biggie, but another thing) and helped with your low muscle tone and legs.... dr. c would like us to do more extensive genetic testing~ micro analysis where they look at each individual chromosome. but the geneticist said this was up to daddy and i and that, no matter the outcome, it would not change your course of treatment. so we're waiting. waiting and thinking on that one. waiting and praying on that one.

i get sad sometimes. at dance class i cried today. i cried cause i don't know if my little ballerina will ever be able to get up on both toes. i cry because i don't know what the future holds. but you know what? you are amazing, and strong, and i believe you can overcome all of this and be who ever you want to be. i believe that you can do anything you want to do. and we'll be here to cheer you on, to be your biggest support, your biggest fans!

you have taught me more in three plus years more than you'll ever know.

you are God's awesome plan.

i love you willa. i love you so so much.

it's now the wee hours of the morning... today's your birthday and we celebrate you. you and all you've already overcome in your little life.

happy birthday willamina grace!

sweet, sweet baby girl.

tiny

2010-09-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

{dancer}

i dreamed of the day that i would take this sweet little to her very first dance class.... and yesterday i did. she was so excited to go...

she marched into class and never looked back. parents were not allowed to watch this week. so i stepped back and let my tiny dancer go. i watched in the door way {before they shut the door} my sweet, sweet girl... and i had tears. and then i tried to catch a glimpse through the crack in the curtains... and she was doing so good, and was so happy. she has much to over come and she's on her way and i am proud, oh so proud.

morning sunshines...

2010-08-17T11:55:00.000-04:00

the mornings {are our favorite}
warm cheeks, messy hair, jammies, milk, hanging out, slowly starting our day...

{she LUUVES her some flash cards and books~ oh her favorite right now, just her favorite}

and of course, monkey see, monkey do... he luvs em too!!!

{notice the yawn like the guy in the picture...}

shower of love...

2010-08-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

the kids and i flew out to arizona to help give kelley {my baby cousin} a baby shower. the girls {julie and julianna} and i couldn't have had more fun preparing for this special day for kel! it was just lovely...

the details~

the people~

the little people~

the presents~

the hostesses with the mostesses~

{and the prego}

there is nothing like...

2010-07-19T16:21:00.000-04:00

watching your child experience something {a carnival} for the first time...

okay, so, she wasn't quite tall enough... but we busted her through anyway!

and the favorite.... SUPER SLIDE...

{and really not tall enough for this one~ but oh so courageous enough}

she. had. a. blast.{and us too}. like, the best time ever. there were tears when we left...
oh, what fun we had!

pink cup and a teapot...

2010-06-24T23:06:00.000-04:00

you can tell this boy has a sister.
he's so inventive though~ don't ya think?

oh buddy, you make me laugh!!

fit for a...

2010-06-16T15:34:00.000-04:00

beach boy!!

we had sand art and visors for the kids to make~

{oh, and papa made these super cool benches and nanny painted them! aren't they the best?}

a true beach boy he is~

he sat here {in the sand} all day!!

{kickin back on blankets in the grass}

{water fun}

{favorite} moments

oh the presents~

everyone was so good to him!!

baked by mommy...

{and i was proud}

What. a. day.

these two had so much fun!

they couldn't get enough~

and even after everyone went home

they continued to play...

happy birthday little man!

i know you won't remember this day~

and that's why mommy took lots of pictures! you had the best day! and you have lots of great friends who had a blast celebrating with you!

ONE...

2010-06-01T12:32:00.000-04:00

{today}!!! happy happy birthday sweet boy!! i can't believe you are ONE today! you are so sweet and such a little lover! he has turned into the sweetest, funniest, cutest, most loving, laid back little boy! he is so smart and so content!! he's walking and talking, feeding himself {and eating lots}, nodding his head yes, {and nodding his head no}, giving kisses, mimicking everything, did i mention really cute? he follows his sister everywhere, and does everything she does, the two of them are just the best of friends! he has a smile that will light up a room and he makes my heart just sing! and today we celebrate the day you were born little man...

i am so blessed and proud to call you my son! i love you very, very, very much!
happy 1st birthday!
xoxo
mommy

busy...

2010-05-26T22:56:00.000-04:00

planning this boy's 1st birthday party. i asked willa what kind of party peytey would like and she said {with her hands out to the side} a beach party! {like, duh.} so a beach party it is.... and so i'm busy putting together the best beach party ever! {can't believe my baby's turning one}

a trooper...

2010-05-20T16:35:00.000-04:00

he did great! it did end up being a little over an hour and a half surgery. everything went great though~ he was a little sad when he woke up~ but a little mommy and daddy time {and some juice and food} cheered him up! he is home and sleeping like a baby! but oh boy is he gonna be sore for a little while. :(

oh little man~

2010-05-19T23:20:00.000-04:00

peytey boy is having his surgery in the morning~ (he's getting his little man parts all fixed up and circumcised~ they couldn't do it at birth because he had what they called a partial-circ). please say a little prayer that all goes well! we go in at 8:30am and he's going under general annestesia (which scares me). they said today it would be about an hour and a half (but shouldn't be that long) and then in recovery for about an hour. i'll blog with an update sometime tomorrow~

bla bla

2010-05-18T15:45:00.000-04:00

we love these dolls~ and are collecting them... aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen?

2010-05-13T16:44:00.000-04:00

got to play with this sweet baby girl last week~ she is one of four girls! i am having dinner with her mommy tonight and promised her a little peak~
i am lovin sunflare and haze lately!!

you know something's up when...

2010-05-12T22:58:00.000-04:00

they're QUIET...

i was vacuuming and when i looked up willa was no where to be found. i was calling here name, looking everywhere... i knew she was up to something because she was so quiet. and then i heard a little noise from here...

oh, yeah. shoveling it in like no tomorrow. she was so shocked that i found her and when i opened the door she did her classic shaking her head yes and humming mmm mmmm...

{i had to try so hard not to laugh} {so hard}

a glimpse...

2010-05-09T22:48:00.000-04:00

today's sermon~

"be a glimpse of God's perfect love"

mom, you are my glimpse, and i can only hope to be the same for my children.

Happy Mothers Day! xoxo

My dear child,
You are the poem I dreamed of writing.
The masterpiece I longed to paint.

You are the shining star I reached for.
In my ever hopeful quest for life fulfilled.
You are my child.
Now with all things
I am blessed.

~author unknown~

of course...

2010-05-08T23:08:00.000-04:00

they showed up to the birthday party in the same outfit... they're bff's!!

a package...

2010-05-07T11:35:00.000-04:00

arrived at our door stop.... and brightened up this rainy day!!

kicky pants and salty dog??? oh, you spoiled us!!

she even included this cool piggy bank for the little surfer dudes bedroom!!

do i have the coolest aunt or what?

and my kids have the greatest great aunt in the world...

thank you auntie joye! you made us smile... what a fun surprise! love you! xoxo

who...

2010-05-05T23:07:00.000-04:00

does {peyton} look like?

{me}

{james}

so, i have to tell you. i had this post all set with this photo of me and one of peyton to go next to it in a similar pose, at a similar age. {because some of you seem to think he looks like me} and i thought i should look some photos of james as a baby and see what he looked like... and then i found this... and i was in shock.

going backwards...

2010-05-03T22:18:00.000-04:00

these are from november {i know, i know} but i just got to them recently and had to share~ we went to atlanta to visit steve {james'brother} natalie, isabel and cooper. our girls are a month and a half apart and our boys are 2 weeks apart~ how cool is that? here is isabel {and willa}

this...

2010-05-02T22:11:00.000-04:00

is how i find them all the time...

they. make. me. smile. all. day. long.

{i just love when they play together}

btw... these two photos were taken a month apart, look how much older they both look in the second photo~ which was taken the other day. they grow so fast!!!

too tired...

2010-04-30T23:28:00.000-04:00

to post. sorry. my mom and i had a cabi party tonight at my house~ and i'm whooped. see you tomorrow though!
check out the cabi clothes at~ www.cabionline.com ~super cute stuff!!

never to early...

2010-04-29T23:26:00.000-04:00

to teach the importance of breast feeding...

she even nurses her baby on the dining table~

she's such a good little mommy~ always feeding her babies! (oh brother)

leavin...

2010-04-28T22:13:00.000-04:00

on a {jetplane} we left marco very early this morning. 4am. try that with a two year old and ten month old. whew. good thing i had my mom, dad, and uncle aaron! sorry for the no post last night... 3:30am was coming too early...

{willa and i practicing flying in the front yard}

first...

2010-04-26T22:37:00.000-04:00

steps. tonight. on the beach.

i took the kids down to the beach to watch the sunset~ and as i was snapping pics he took his very first steps on his own. first, a 180 with one foot getting him around and then he just began to pick up his other foot and walk. i couldn't believe it~ i looked around to see if anyone was seeing what i was seeing!!

my baby walked. for me. in front of my camera. for the very first time. {SWOON}

another day at the...

2010-04-25T21:46:00.000-04:00

{BEACH}

moooothies & moleeee

2010-04-24T22:53:00.000-04:00

smoothies and guacamole at the farmers market are willa's favorite! last wednesday was the last day of the market on the island for the season. so we lived it up and bought lots of fruits and veggies!

and the best part....

2010-04-23T23:00:00.000-04:00

the {BEACH}

oh how we love to play on the white sandy beach!

where are we?

2010-04-22T14:25:00.000-04:00

this is the crib in marco... some outside ones anyway... life here is so fun and so simple! we are really enjoying every minute and are thankful to be spending time here...

a challenge...

2010-04-21T09:33:00.000-04:00

so, julie challenged me to 30 days of blogging... and i'm in!! that means a blog a day for 30 days... and maybe, just maybe that will get me in the habit!! {let's hope}

first post to come later from marco island...

peyt... water.

2010-03-26T19:43:00.000-04:00

willa wanted me to fill peyton's sippy cup~

willa: "mom, peyt water.... mom, peyt water"

me: "peyt's ok, he doesn't need water right now"

willa: "peyt, water" .... "peyt, water"....

a few minutes go by.....

i hear wrestling in the bathroom, so i go in there....

peyton's drinking a sippy cup full of... you guessed it... toilet water.

mmmm yummy!!!

willa: "peyt, water"

guess i'll get him water next time she asks!

can you say.....

2010-03-14T11:07:00.001-04:00

POTTY TRAINED!!!

One outta diapers!!!

WOOO HOOO!!!!

she did so good.

#1.... #2... no problem.

i am so proud of this little girl.

you continue to amaze me everyday!

GOOD GIRL!!!

peytie's takin a...

2010-03-08T15:42:00.001-05:00

you guessed it!

{bath}

and i'm thinkin...

i'm gonna make some of these {bath pics}

into canvases for our bathroom!

splish splash...

2010-03-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

i was takin a bath!

we were bored.

it was cold.

peytie was sleeping.

so we jumped in the bath in the middle of the day.

(and, ok, it was a great photo opportunity)

beach babies...

2010-02-28T09:11:00.000-05:00

a few {favorites} from the beach...

oh how we are missing the {beach}

they are definitly beach babies. willa would just light up every time she saw it... she would dramatically bend down grab a handful of sand and let it run through her fingers... as she said "beach, beach, beach"... she would run right into the water no matter what time it was, no matter what the temperature was... and peytie ~ he loved it too. we can't wait to get back there....

mr. trouble

2010-01-22T10:53:00.001-05:00

he's been crawling for awhile now. yes, awhile. yes, he's 7 months. and now he's oh so fast. like i lose him all the time. doesn't he just look like trouble with that sweet little face?

ride on...

2010-01-14T23:23:00.000-05:00

are we having fun yet?

snowbirds...

2010-01-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

we flew south. and had christmas in brand new place. a warm place. and we've been here ever since!

more to come sooooon.......

long time, no post...

2009-12-04T23:54:00.000-05:00

so, i know i am the worst! i've turned into the worst blogger ever! actually, i may be writing to know one right now cause i'm not sure i still have any readers after my hiatus... please, don't leave me! i'll be back soon i promise! i have been so incredibly busy with my photography business that my head is spinning~ but i have lots of updates! i think that when too much time passes that it gets to a point of no return! it's midnight, everyone is sleeping... i want to be sleeping. supposed to be working. looking around at my house that is still filled with fall decorations and not a Christmas decoration to be found. this is so unlike me! what have i gotten myself into? don't get me wrong, i am loving being busy with photo's... but i need some time for my own life too!! tomorrow i have mini sessions set up at a holiday open house at a children's boutique in birmingham. great, super great, but about to be even busier!!

so, a quickie update~ peyton is 6 months old already! seriously i feel like i just had the kid! he's eating cereal, avacado and bannana's and tonight he tried sweet potatoes! he sitting up now and pretty darn proud of it! he's even getting in crawl position and tonight he inched himself to his toys like an inch worm! he is so super tall~ off the charts! and his weight has tappered off a lot, only in the 25th percentile 14.75 lbs. tall and skinny (imagine that)! he does the cutest little thing~ he wrinkles his face as he pushes air out his nose, and then laughs~ oh what a mother loves!!

willa... gosh where to start? she is the biggest crack up!! she makes me laugh 50 times (or so) a day!! she's adding more and more words to her vocabulary every second! she's obsessed with play doe and baby dolls! she pushes her shopping cart everywhere with her baby in the front! she loves music and dancing and especially watching herself dance in her reflection (imagine that)! she asks me to put on the wooh wooh's (wiggles) every second of every day, and even plays them herself in the dvd player (lovely). she is a girly girl~ wants to put on makeup, and lipstick, lotion, and hairspray! anything that mommy does (not that i ever have time that anymore)! she loves her little brother... all day long PEYT! PEYT? PEYT! wants to where he is and what he's doing! when i give him his cereal at night, she HAS to have a bowl too~ yup breast milk and all! and she makes every one sit with her on the floor, in her little chairs, in her kitchen, or where ever she can think of to boss you around and make you sit with her! it's always down, down, down and she nods her head yes and slaps where she wants you to sit! she still smacks her lips for something to drink and clucks her tongue for something to be opened! oh the sounds, even though i want her to use all her words~ i sure will miss them! her favorite song is brush you teeth by raffi~ that and motley crue same ol' situation (thanks to james)!

pics to come soon! hopefully i have time for my OWN Christmas card this year!!

xoxo

they're here {holidays}

2009-11-09T23:28:00.000-05:00

she turned 2

2009-09-22T16:45:00.000-04:00

{TODAY}

my, my how she's changed in a year...

OCTOBER 08'

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE (the day her life changed forever)

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

happy birthday big girl! we love you so much! you light up our lives every single day! this is birthday week... so more birthday posts to come!!

this gal

2009-09-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

is coming today to stay with us for

A WEEK!! ohhhh the fun we'll have...

sunshine

2009-09-02T10:25:00.001-04:00

this ray of light makes me smile...

save the date

2009-08-31T22:21:00.000-04:00

you and your little girls are going to fall in love with this clothing collection!! and you're sure to get compliments everywhere you go!! i'm so excited to be hosting a MATILDA JANE trunk show at my house on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th FROM 7-9pm.

they have sizes 6mo to adult and lots of fun accessories!! the only way you can buy matilda jane is through a trunk show~ so don't miss out!! you can check out the website and blog to get a sneek peek~ the fall line comes out in 8 days! you are welcome to bring your little ladies to try stuff on, or just come yourself~ if you're interested e-mail me and i'll send you an invite!

and because this clothing photographs so well i will also be doing a promotion for a $50 gift certificate toward a photo session with me, plus 25 free holiday cards, and 20% off prints with a $100 matilda jane purchase.

pass the invitation along to anyone you'd like to bring with you!! hope to see you there!! oh, and if you live out of town but would like to order i would be more than happy to send you a catalog or you can look at mj online and let me know if there is anything you're interested in purchasing!

little man...

2009-08-27T23:13:00.000-04:00

lotta drool {swoon}

three little ladies...

2009-08-26T12:30:00.000-04:00

these sweet girls are a friend of mine from high school's! she is prego with her 4th...girl!! how fun to have four girls! they have such a special bond, and all so unique in their own way! they were so much fun to hang out with and photograph! we even caught a hot air balloon going up above us! we ended the shoot with lots of ice cream! here is your sneek peek missy, lot's more to come!! you have such beautiful girls! can't wait to meet #4!!

this is some new processing i've been working on, let me know what you think!...

the little things...

2009-08-02T20:50:00.000-04:00

he laughed for the first time today. melt my heart.

organic baby

2009-06-29T15:26:00.000-04:00

going green...

here he is...

2009-06-18T15:39:00.000-04:00

Peyton James

born June 1st, 6:31pm

9lbs, 7oz

22 1/4 inches long

so here's how it went...

i went in that monday to my doctors office to have a non-stress test done on the baby. he was quiet again so they sent me to the hospital to be monitored further. i was not on the machine for more than 10 minutes before the nurse came in and said "word on the street is you're staying and having a baby today"!! i had gone into the hospital by myself from the doctors office, james went to work thinking this would be another false alarm-- i had told him, you better come with me... and low and behold i was right. they moved me right into a room, broke my water and began to induce labor! six hours later... our beautiful baby boy arrived!! i'll save the story about all the pain from pushing out nearly a 10 lb baby for those of you who have had children, and plan on not having any more!! :) well, my epidurl (sp?) didn't exactly work either.... um yeah, ouch! it is/was of course more than worth it!! and everyone is healthy praise GOD!!

sorry about the delay in pictures, first it took me awhile to be able to move around (10 lbs, did i mention that?) and then i was so busy trying to get in all the photos, props, yada yada, while peyton was still new that i had little time to edit or blog them, actually i've had little time for anything but willa and peyton!! and a little sleep deprived!!

thanks for all your thoughts, prayers, well wishes!! we are over joyed at the birth of our son, another amazing miracle. i feel so blessed and am completely in love again!!!

oh, and this is just the START of the photo's!!! :)

due date

2009-05-29T22:10:00.000-04:00

so my due date is about to have come and gone... we were at the hospital all day today, thought we may have the baby... yesterday evening i took a long brisk walk and my contractions were close together (3-4mins) and pretty strong. then i decided to kick back and see what happened before heading to the hospital. well as soon as i laid down they slowed way down to almost nothing. then i woke up at 6am (well i never really slept), took another brisk walk and thought i was starting to feel a water leak.... apparently not. went in to the office to get checked out. wasn't amniotic fluid. got a non stress test, baby was quiet (the first time ever, of course usually he's a wild man). my blood pressure was slightly elevated, which is abnormal for me. so they sent me to the hospital for tests. prayed the whole way there... non-stress test was fine there, baby looked great. my blood pressure was fine there. blood work was normal. God is good. and then they sent me home. boo. hoo. i really thought that was it. apparently not. still waiting. the nurse said boys are always late.

the next plan (if i don't go into labor before, which i am hoping to do) is to go back on monday.

repeat tests. and then induction thursday at 4pm... really hoping it doesn't come to that.

dandelions

2009-05-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

we took willa to the park the other day and she discovered dandelions!! so sweet, she just loved to blow on them! james and i were so amazed at how big she looked to us walking around the park! our big girl now! i think she felt pretty sassy in her new hat!

my good girl...

2009-05-26T20:57:00.000-04:00

as you know willa has to have ultrasounds on her kidneys and blood work every 3 months until she's eight years old and then every 6 months to a year after that. and if you didn't know, the reason is she has slight asymmetry of her legs. either one leg is larger (hemihyperplasia) than the other, or one leg is smaller (hemihypertrophy) than the other. although, we've gotten all sorts of doctor opinions we may never know if willa has hemihyperplasia or hemihypertrophy. and because of this she has an increased risk of intra-abdominal tumors, especially wilms' tumor and also hepatoblastoma, and others. she will probably never get a tumor, but we of course have to take every precaution.

here are some pics of her most recent ultrasound, and i didn't even try to take any of the blood draw! she was so good, i couldn't believe it!! as she gets older i get nervous going thinking she is going to protest this big time, but she always amazes me, such a good girl!! she wasn't as happy about the blood draw, but that was quick and easy and she got over it quick! the lollipops and stickers always help!!

she has to wear a hospital gown and this time she was hilarious walking around in it. she was smiling her funny smile and everyone and making them all laugh!!

oh, and all the tests came back normal, praise God!

baby henry

2009-05-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

this is our friends new baby boy henry. isn't he sweet?? i took his photo's at 7 days old, he was such an angel, slept through the whole thing! i spent the whole day at their home, and it was so much fun to photograph their new bundle of joy!!

update...

2009-05-21T09:52:00.000-04:00

as of tuesday i was 2cm dilated and 80% effaced. and i was the same the tuesday before that. so, nothing changed in a week, although the doctor said not to be discouraged by that because once the contractions are heavy, i should progress pretty quickly. i hope so, i really would like to be in labor for less than 26 hours this time!! i was thinking i would have him on the 22nd or 23rd... but we shall see... i'll keep ya updated!! :)

btw, i am HUGE. just HUGE. if i can get someone to snap a pic, i will post it!!

vincent

2009-05-15T10:11:00.000-04:00

meet vincent. my cousin danielle's brand new baby boy. he was four days old when i got to take his first photo's! isn't he so cute?

spring sprung

2009-05-11T19:59:00.000-04:00

and so we decided to go outside and play in a pettiskirt under the neighbors magnolia tree...

happiest boy on the block...

2009-04-21T08:39:00.001-04:00

here is Brooks, Mary's sweet little boy!! he turned 1 year in february. i swear this kid has the biggest smile ever, it literally goes from ear to ear!! and those blue, blue eyes...a heartbreaker!! so fun to photograph!! it was freezing so these were taken inside, we're gonna take some more outside soon, since it's finally warming up!!

ate by a goat.

2009-04-16T22:36:00.000-04:00

Easter weekend we went to my grandparents farm. lots of fresh air and fun until...

we decided to take Willa down to a farm which had a ton of animals and baby animals. they own a petting farm and so i guess when James heard that he thought it would be safe to put Willa RIGHT UP TO A BIG OL' GOAT. wrong. I was video taping and realized the goat was very close to her hand and by the time I was able to get there it was too late. Willa screamed and that's when we realized her hand was in the goats mouth. and he was chomping like goats do on grass, not baby hands!!! we got her hand out, and it looked bad, i mean really bad. i honestly thought at that moment she may loose a finger. blood was gushing everywhere and she was whaling. her middle finger was flat as a pancake and completely mangled. he had gotten both front and back of her ring and middle fingers. i have never felt so awful, and just wanted to take the pain away. we rushed into the pet farmers house, rinsed off her hand and wrapped it tight in a towel, and then it was off to the ER. Willa, who never cries about anything, cried the whole way there (30mins away) and into the hospital. they took some ex-rays and soaked it good. no stitches, since it was an animal bite with high risk of infection and her hands are just so little, so they steri-stripped them back together. no breaks either, thank God! she's on some heavy antibiotics. the best moment was in the middle of all her tears she took her good hand and covered one eye to play peak-a-boo. then i knew my baby was back. these pics are from three days after. i wish i had some of it right after, i am telling you it looked sooooo awful!! poor baby!! it could have been way worse, so we are grateful that it wasn't. and no more "petting farms" for a while... daddy!!!

cool bandages...

a better blogger...

2009-04-14T23:15:00.000-04:00

i have been in a blogging slump. don't really know why. no excuses anymore.

i want to be a better blogger. i vow to be a better blogger. tomorrow. i promise.

growing...

2009-02-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

in the last week baby has really grown, and so have i...

39...

2009-02-26T13:32:00.000-05:00

wow!! 1 year left of your thirties!! not to worry, forty is the new thirty!!

happy birthday!! (it was monday)

we love you sooooo much, you are the best hubby and dada in the whole world!

after her bath willa loved to help with the cake! especially eating it!

happy birthday nana!!

2009-02-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

you are so very special to us all.

you are the rock of our whole family.

you light up our lives.

we love and appreciate you more than you'll ever know.

you're the best gramma, grammy, nana in the whole world!

thank you for who you are, and everything you do.

we are all so blessed to have you in our lives!

happy birthday!

we love you!

be my valentine!

2009-02-13T22:31:00.000-05:00

my boy...

2009-01-30T08:52:00.001-05:00

isn't he handsome??

23 weeks today, only 17 till i meet you little man!!

better late, than never!!

2009-01-28T23:10:00.000-05:00

yes, i know a little late... (way late) but, i wanted to share a couple cute video's from christmas morning. it was so fun to watch her!!

Christmas breakfast...

2009-01-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

every year we have our neighbors & friends over for a Christmas breakfast. santa surprised us and showed up again!!! lucky us!! I tried to take photo's but I was very busy - there were 15 kids here!! here are a couple photos...

and yes, i too am moving backwards with the Christmas photos... sorry, so busy this year!!

our santa... oh do we love him!!

santa and miss madison (i think her first time seeing him)...

santa & olivia (she's so sweet)...

willa thought santa looked familiar... hmmm...

and i'm outta here...

santa even brought presents for everyone...

yup, i made it... and so proud!! ;)

the fixings for made to order omlettes...

chef james...

mary & brooks...

miss marley tru...

so funny, i think he was tired??...

IT'S A....

2008-12-31T20:42:00.001-05:00

today's the day...

2008-12-31T12:06:00.000-05:00

we are heading to our big ultrasound where we will find out the gender of baby schneider!! we are going to have it secretly put into an envelope and are going to find out later with our family and friends!! i will be posting a video by 8pm our time!!

it's so strange to think right now we have no idea what this baby is, and in just a few hours we'll know wether we are having a son or another daughter!! I CAN'T WAIT!!! we of course, just pray that this baby is healthy!!

any bets???

FINALLY...

2008-12-28T11:25:00.000-05:00

well, we to were so busy during Christmas and I have a lot to catch up on now!! I will try to do that before the new year! here are some photo's of our home at Christmas!! lots more to come!

hope you all had a very merry Christmas!!

santa was so good!! more to come on that!!

cannot update...

2008-12-27T10:44:00.000-05:00

so, i don't know what is up with blogger (at least on my end), but i can't update with any photo's. been trying since Christmas eve. i'll keep trying.... hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!